Page 130 of All the way home

Fiercely pleased at the hesitation, Zach wants to catch and hold it somehow.

A low whisper, Kieran says, “Tell me I should.”

And so, even though he’s already said it, Zach whispers back, “Go.”

Kieran closes the distance between them in two steps and kisses him with such ferocity that Zach hits his head on the window.

“Oh, fuck,” Kieran gasps in alarm, fingers working around the back of Zach’s head to act as a buffer between him and the glass. “Sorry. Jesus.”

Blinking away stars, skull smarting, Zach grabs the lapels of Kieran’s coat to yank him closer, mouths crashing together.

This kiss is a race. It’s terminal velocity.

There’s none of the careful deliberation of their last kiss, but Zach doesn’t care. This is all thumbs and lips, Zach with a fist in Kieran’s hair, the crushing weight of Kieran’s mouth against his skin.

“This is not going,” Zach points out, gasping, as Kieran noses down to the edge of his jaw. “Not that I mind.”

“I meant to go the other way,” Kieran mutters, and Zach laughs.

“Like fuck you did.’

“Mmm.” Kieran finds Zach’s lips again. “You got me.”

And then he sighs, the sound so light and pleased and happy that it ignites something hot and tight at the base of Zach’s throat.

“What about—” Zach begins, cut off mid-thought.

It’s minutes before either of them come back down to any semblance of a presence of mind and Kieran steps away with a huff, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ.”

Zach’s tempted to trail after him, step for step, but he stays right where he’s leaning against the glass, because he’s not sure his legs will hold if he tries to use them.

“You’re a menace.” Kieran holds up a finger, panting. “Reprehensible.”

Grinning, unable to catch a breath, Zach slides slowly down the window until he’s sitting on the ground, knees to chest. “Look what you’ve done to me.”

Kieran’s laugh is light and incredulous as his phone buzzes again.

“Remember how you were going somewhere?”

Pushing his hair out of his eyes—he’s significantly ruffled—Kieran blows out a breath and shakes his head as he checks his phone. Then, all at once, his expression drains of mirth. “Oh. Okay.”

Zach just waits.

“It’s serious,” Kieran says.

“I meant it,” Zach says, looking up. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“All right.” Kieran looks down at him, that smile reappearing, growing wider and wider. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Rena

Rena stares down at her text exchange with Kieran.

Where are you?

What are you doing right now?